Taking one for the team

Boys had Ski & Snowboard camp again today.  After camp I picked them up and headed over to Bouncing Bears for Lachlin's 5th birthday party (Lachlin is friends Karl and Laurie's middle child).  

Lego men cupcake toppers.  What a great idea for a 5 year olds birthday.

Selfie with Zach and me right before Lach blows out his candles.

The birthday boy blowing out five big ones.  Make a wish buddy!!

Sam was non-stop action.  I couldn't keep up.  As soon as I would spot him on one of the blow up things, he would be gone.  His face was rosy by the time cake was served.  One would think he would be worn out after skiing for six hours!!  Not Sam, we got back home from this party and he was still bouncing off the walls.

Zacky was enchanted with this blow up toy that blew air out of the top of the cones.  His friend Camden (background) was even more amused.  I think he was at that same spot the entire time.

Shower time for the boys tonight.  These places may be fun for the kids, but I think of them as immune building stations.  There were a lot of kids there tonight, and I am sure more than one of them had a cold or some other ailment.  Ewww . . .

This was the only picture that even halfway turned out of Sam on the rides.  He just never stopped moving.  As I am writing this, I still hear him upstairs moving around and talking to himself.  His energy knows no limits!

Snowmachining in Eklutna

Good friend Karl invited Zach, Sam and myself to hang out with him and his son Lochlin snow machining at Eklutna Lake.  The weather today was great (for the end of December), and the boys and I decided it would be a good day to take a break from skiing/snowboarding at the local ski hill and run some gas through the snow machine.  

We didn't get too early of a start (around 10p) and Karl had agreed to pick us up at the house.  He has a trailer and only one snowmachine, so was nice of him to offer to drive.  I hadn't had my snow machine on in over a year, so it took a few minutes of pulling on the starter cord to get the thing to turn over.  I am a little surprised the fuel left in the carburetor hadn't turned to varnish!  We loaded what seemed like endless amounts of gear into Karls truck, and from the look of our load we were heading out for an expedition.  Both Karl and I have sleds we pull behind the snowmachines allowing for extra gear and in my case, to transport two children.  We had to make a quick stop at Carr's grocery store on the way out of town for fuel for the machines and to get doughnuts and coffee for the driver and passenger (me).  Eklutna Lake is about half an hour North of town, and then twelve miles up a winding narrow two lane road to the parking lot for the lake.  The parking lot had only four other cars in it when we arrived at 1:00.  

Despite our huge pile of gear along with redundant pairs of gloves, hats and the kitchen sink . . . I forgot my coat.  I luckily had a down coat and a down vest, but I forgot my shell.  Ahhh . . . its always something! I ended up staying warm enough, but I still hate forgetting something like a coat.  We got everyone loaded up and headed down the trail.  A guy in the parking lot warned us that there were half a dozen people along the road "walking or skiing", and we were like . . . yeah, ok.  That's pretty much what people do there if they are not riding a snowmachine.  Anyway, we took off and rode.  It was beautiful.  Temps were good.  The trail, come to find out, had only been open three days and was in great shape with no bumps.  Driving along the lake gave us some spectacular views of the mountains.

Karl and I are not hardcore riders by any means.  Both his and my machines are at least 18 years old (but still running good), and we had a load of kids.   The posted speed limit along the lake trail is 10 mph and we were lucky if we were doing that.  It was just nice to be out enjoying the scenery in relative solitude.  We did run into most of the people walking or skiing (not literally), and they just waved when we drove by . . . they were enjoying the day too.

We had a couple of stops for snacks and just to let the kids run around.  Zach brought his snowboard, but didn't end up using it.  Despite the cold, the kids were stayed pretty warm and were comfortable riding in the sled.

A "selfie" of Karl and I along the trail.  I haven't gone on any adventures with Karl in a while, so this was a nice change of pace.  We really need to get out and explore more often.

The machines were doing pretty good for 18 - 22 year old machines.  Karl was commenting that when I first took off, he was riding behind me and couldn't see the kids through the thick two-stroke smoke coming out of my exhaust.  It was fine after it warmed up a bit, but he had initial concerns.  I don't really ride enough to justify a new machine.  He and I were talking in the truck on the way out that even an entry-level machine is 8 to 9 thousand dollars.

The scenery was really spectacular.  I added this shot to Facebook as my new "wall" background.  The sun in this valley never rises above the mountains in the winter.  Wouldn't want to live there, but it makes for some impressive backdrops.

Sammy decided to ride up front with me for a while.  I had to "train" him to duck every time I ducked to avoiding low lying branches along the trail.  They were bad this trip.  The recent snow had pushed all of the alders down along the trail.  It was enough to push them horizontal, but not enough to bury the branches into the snow banks.  This made for a maze of sticks and twigs ready to lash out and wack you along the cheek, nose or leg.

Our original goal was to ride back the 12 miles to the end of the trail.  Due to our late start, stopping frequently to let the kids run, and the slow progress due to branches in the trail, we only made it back 8 miles to the airstrip.  By the time we got to the airstrip, it was already starting to get dark, and of course on a trail like this, by the time you get to the turn-around point, you are only half-way.  The kids tucked in the sled and we boogied back double time to the trailhead.  The gauntlet of branches was "real fun" at our faster pace and dusk conditions.  I kept turning my head back to check on the kids, and even stopped along the trail for a second to check their conditions.  Each time I got the thumbs up, but they let it be know that they were ready to be at the car.  It only took 30 minutes to travel the 8 miles back, but by the time we reached the parking lot, Sam was crying and wanted his Mom, because he was so cold.  I was about to load him in the truck when I heard from behind me the faint realization, that the keys had been locked in the truck.

Keys locked in a truck in town is no big deal.  You call a cab with a slim jim, or a spouse with keys, and someone in relatively short order shows up to help.  Also in the city there are a million places to get in out of the weather and warm up while you wait for help.  This however, is different when you are out on adventures.  First of all, there is no calling for help at Eklutna.  Cell phones don't work out there.  Help is a good hour and a half anyway.  By the time an angry spouse is mobilized and finally arrives with the keys, you will probably wish you were frozen and have "gone to the light".  Long story short, the back door on Karl's extended cab truck had not been closed tightly, and he and I were able to shove a large stick in a crack at the top of the door and open the truck.  This was possible with him sitting on the roof, and me pulling hard on the top of the door frame to widen the gap, and using the stick, wedge it against the door handle to open the door.  This process took around half an hour with several attempts to open the door using multiple implements.  Where were the kids?, you ask.  Well fortunately, Eklutna has a year-round camp host.  We ran in to her while Karl and I were scavenging for a stick to open up the truck.  She offered to watch the kids and let them warm up while we figured something out.  She had them watching a Disney movie and eating popcorn in her warm cabin.  By the time we got done and went to round up the kids, they were intrenched in the movie and didn't want to leave.  We thanked her and went on our way.  She really was great with the kids and turned a potentially bad situation into a memorable one.  

We headed out at 4:58, and drove to Eagle River to have dinner at Pizza Man.  Pizza was great, kids were warm and fed, we left Pizza Man and got back to the house around 7pm.  No mechanical difficulties, everyone had all of their fingers and toes . . . All in all it was a good day.

Winter sleep for the camper

Winter is almost here, and that of course means putting away the summer toys.  I brought up the r-pod last December and we had arraignments to store it outside next to Renee's work in Anchorage.  I didn't really like the camper being exposed to the snow and ice all winter, so this year I decided to give the Alaska Fairgrounds another try.

 I had previously stored the boat out at the fairgrounds in 2011.  I had no issues with doing this, except for the fact that load-in day is in the first part of October, and load-out day is around the 15th of May.  I didn't like having to wait until mid-May to get the boat out.  The boating season is short enough as it is, and I don't like to wait.  Shrimping starts April 15th, and by the time the boat is out and ready for the water, we've lost a whole month!  I made other arraingments for the boat (see Goodnight boat, 9/13), but the camper is not as time sensitive.    

Storing the camper was one of the last items on my "to-do" list before the big international trip.  There were two days assigned to load-in (Fri & Sat), and Renee suggested that I get there sooner rather than later.  I took the morning off from work to pull the rig out to Palmer (about an hour away) where the fairgrounds are.  There was a flurry of activity going on, but I must have been in between groups of people loading in their summer recreational vehicles, as I didn't feel rushed and no one was behind me waiting to load.  I had a few minutes to talk with the guys from the fairgrounds helping with load-in.  The said that I made the right decision bringing the rig in early.  The "first come" people get the best spots towards the back of the barn where the effects of the ferocious winds are minimal.  Since the r-pod was so small, and I was there early, they decided to put me in a totally enclosed area of the barn where normally they show the giant cabbages during the Alaska State Fair.  

I always hate storing my "toys" off site, but there is no room at the Inn, and this is a great alternative to anything uncovered in Anchorage.  The price is actually reasonable for covered storage, and I know it is secure.  That morning I completed the required winterization of the rig, so I drove away pretty confident that the camper would be in the same condition as when I dropped it off.  Come May, we will be ready to hit the beaches of Seward, and all we should really have to do is pick it up, load some food, and head on down the Seward Highway!

This is a BIG barn.  During the fair it is filled with antique tractors, farm animals, and giant vegetables.  The fair is smart to utilize this building in the winter for storage, otherwise I imagine it would sit empty for half the year.   It was amazing to see how they loaded all of the big rigs for winter.  One of the staff there describe it like playing Tetris.  With all of "toys" being put away for winter there has to be a system to make sure there is no wasted space.  There were some big boats, lots of motorhomes and campers.  Some people were even storing their camper and truck in the barn.  Nice structure to keep the snow off and minimize the effects of the wind.  The barn was paved two years ago, making it even nicer.  

This area is adjacent to the large main room.  Large equipment won't fit here due to the low roof. I was lucky to be early.  This is a prime storage area.  During the fair this area is filled with chickens, rabbits, pigs and ducks.  Funny to see it empty now.  Does smell better though.  I like this area because it is totally enclosed and will suffer zero effects from the wind.  If you look carefully you can see the r-pod on the right tucked in next to a 24' Tollycraft boat.  The camper is in good company.  Goodnight camper, see you in six months!!

Snow . . . already?!?

Woke up this morning to a bit of the white stuff.  Had to do a double take when I looked outside!

 

 

Can't believe it is here already!  I know we live in Alaska and all . . . but really?!? September!!

Learning the Ropes

 It was one of those weekends were we did a lot of projects on Saturday and by Sunday the kids are going crazy and have us climbing the walls.  Sunday was rainy and cold, and even the kids were getting bored of the TV.  Time to get out and do . . . something!!

 

We had talked about taking the kids to the Alaska Rock Gym, but just had never gotten around to it. Now that summer is offically over (for us anyway), the rock gym suddenly got pushed to the top of the list.  I had been here years earlier to climb with some buddies, but that was many moons ago.  I collected my "retro" gear (old), got the kids to put on shorts despite the 40 deg temperaters, and shuffled everyone to the vertical challenge that lay before us.  Should be fun . . . just hope the kids are UP to the challenge!

With an activity like this . . . who knows if the kids are going to like it, or even be able to do it.  We signed in, got the kids some rental gear and started on the "boldering" routes.  That lasted approximatly 30 seconds before the were "bored". 

 Ok . . . if we are going to do this . . . lets do it.  I got on my harness, tried best to remember my belaying techniques and got Sam on a somewhat easy route.  He wasn't too sure at first and went up . . . oh maybe 4 feet.  Great, this should be fun.  Ok, best to start kids off slowly and let them go at their own pace.  Don't want them getting freaked out off the bat. 

 

Sam still wanted to go again, but he wanted to see his brother go first.

 So Zach went up next.  Boom . . . all the way to the top.  Now, their are "routes" marked in tape that you are suppose to follow.  Each tape color represents a difficulty level.  This trip wasn't about pushing the limit, or following routes, we were there just to get to the top, get comfortable with the gear, heights, and see if this is something they would like to do more.

Well, so far so good.  Gym was starting to get a bit more crowded at this point, but we were still able to find open routes to climb.  Sammy went next and went up a bit further.  He was getting more compfortable on the rocks and his technique was looking good.  You could see the struggle between his mind saying "don't go too high", and the other side of his brain saying "if your brother can do it, you can do it . . . better!!".  It would be interesting to see what side wins. 

So we went back and fourth. Zach does a route, and then Sam does a route . . . Zach then Sam . . . and so on . . . My rusty belay skills were coming back, and it was just fun to see them get excited about an outdoor sport . . . that is really inside.

Dang kids . . . make it look easy.  I am going to really need to hit the regular gym and loose a few pounds if I even think I am going to keep up with these kids!!

Zaki kept trying to find harder and harder pitches to climb.  Every time he wouldn't stop until he touched the ceiling.

We were all having fun, and I could tell the kids were becoming more and more comfortable on the wall.  First few routes Zach was saying "don't look down!!", after about 4 pitches, he had forgotten all about the height.  They wern't slowing down either!  Every now and then Zach would say "look at my fore arm, it is pumped!!".

 

 

Up down . . . Up down . . . We did that for 2 and a half hours.  I think I was the only one getting tired, and I was just watching and lowering them down!

Well . . . back to Sammy.  The struggle finally ended, and the side of his brain that competes with his brother finnaly won.  He got on a 12 foot vertical and went up . . . and up . . . and up . . . all the way to the top.  And he wasn't satisified until he touched the ceiling . . . just like his brother.

 He did the next pitch, which was a little bit harder . . . and went to the top on that one too.  I lowered him down, and with a huge smile he said "I beat that rock climbing . . . two times!!"  And he went on to do a third before they started loosing steam and we had to meet Renee for lunch.

 

 

It was a great afternoon with two of my favorite people.  I had no expectations, but was pleasantly surprised in the end.  It wasn't that expensive either.  20 bucks including rental for 2 and a half hours of fun and exercise.  We will definitly be back!!

Goodnite Boat . . .

I thought we could manage to squeeze in one more trip this summer before the boat had to be put to bed.  No such luck.  The 2013 boating season started out with a bang, and then just kind of fizzled out.  Renee caught the crud, and the boys were a little hesatant to head out in small craft advisory, so we called it for the season and may plans do a final wash down, strip everything off the roof of the boat, and squeeze it into our garage!! 

 

This is now the third year putting the boat into the garage and I am still amazed that it fits!

Even as I am backing the boat into the garage, I am looking at it thinking . . . hmmm . . . I know it fit before, but really?!?  The neighbors are thinking it too.  I see them slow down and crane their necks wondering if that boat they've seen in the driveway all summer is really going to be stuffed into that 9 foot 6 inch door. 

It works though . . . like a charm.  It took several hours to prep the boat for "insertion", and then about 30 minutes for the actual proceedure.  I have my "team" of helpers to make sure nothing scrapes and to ensure I don't skip any steps. 

All put away now for winter.  Good thing to as Sunday was crappy out.  Better to do it on a sunny day!  Once the dust settles, I'll go through my list of projects I have planned for it for next year.  The 2014 boating season is still 7 months off, but it will be here before I know it. 

Rilke Schule Open House

We had an opportunity to tour through Zach and Sam's classrooms on the first Rilke Schule "open house" of the year.  

There we saw Zach's friend Alex, and his parents.  The place was just ablaze with parents and kids running around.  Ours too were running around, saying "Hi" to friends and showing us all of the places they go throughout the day.

We said our "hellos" and kept our tour brief.  Both Zach and Sam seem to be settling into the school year just fine.  They are socially adjusted and keeping up on their school work just fine.

Of course both kids wanted to show me how they could climb up to the top (not the very top . . . although they wanted to do that too!!) of the swing set, to the amazement of their friends. We picked a good school for the kids.  They seem to both fit in well and are succeeding in their academic careers.  Couldn't be prouder:)

First Pack Meeting of the year

1st pack meeting of the year.  We had the usual meeting complete with boring "housekeeping" items that went on for way too long.  The kids have sat all day in school, and are ready to run around to burn off some steam by the end of the day.  Luckily they sat through it with out getting too crazy.  We have one new boy to our Den.  Our group is around 10 kids.  Good size group.  It will be a fun year.

The activity was building "rockets" out of construction paper.  There wasn't a whole lot of instruction, but we (I) managed to build a couple of halfway decent rockets.  The idea was that you wrap the paper around a pipe "form", the same size as the launch tube.  Add a couple of paper fins, seal the top, and add some sort of nose cone, and wah lah!  You have a rocket (sort of).  The rockets are then placed on the launcher tube that is hooked to an air compressor.  When the "launch master" says "go", the kids each quickly turn the valve that lets a stream of air through the tube, lifting the rocket into the air.  That's the idea anyway.  There were quite a few rockets that failed to launch.  The key was sealing the end to prevent air from escaping.  Several rockets had nice nose cones, but the minute the air blasted out the tube, the nose cone flew off and the rocket stalled, missing its mission.  Sam's did really well and went way up in the rafters.  Zach's almost cleared the table in the back of the room.  The kids all enjoyed the activity and had fun seeing who could go the furthest.  I am hoping to coordinate a "real" rocket activity into our dens schedule later in the year.  If they thought these rockets were cool, wait til they see ones take off with real rocket engines!!

Goodbye Nate . . .

My co-worker and friend of three years took advantage of an opportunity at DNR and decided to take a promotion to manager of Oil and Gas something or other.  There was never a dull moment with Nate in the next cube over, and his humor will definitely be missed.  We used to shoot rubber bands back and fourth over the cube walls and joke about how many must be stuck up in the light.  

Nate was also famous for his appetite.  Here he is loading some of Marty's excellent cheese dip into a number of zip lock bags for a later scheduled meal.  Funny thing was that he had to take all of these bags with him on the bus for the hour ride back to Wasilla.  He managed though, when it comes to food, Nate it pretty seriously.  Good luck in your new position, and don't be a stranger!

Big boots to fill . . .

Got a heck of a deal on some very slightly used Asolo mountaineering boots at Play it Again Sports.  What do you need slightly used Asolo mountaineerin boots for . . . you say?!?

 

I honestly can't answer that right now, but they are origionally 500 bucks and I got them for a tenth of that.  Super good deal . . . and they are my size.  I know, Renee already said it . . . HORDER!  Sammy looks good in them though:)

All set for the bunny hill

It is hard to believe we will be skiing here in a few months.  Not a cloud in the sky and temps in the mid 60's, but . . . we all know winter is on it's way.  I decided to check what it would cost to get Zach a season pass for Hilltop.  Now, Hilltop is more of a bunny hill than a true ski area, but it is great for training kids to ski and it is only minutes from the house.  I also have no hesitation leaving Zach here to snowboard while we are at work.  He knows all of the routes and is a familiar face with the instructors.  

I was glad that I checked the website because by buying the pass that morning, I could still qualify for the early bird discount . . . a whopping 25%!  Not bad for being being on top of things.  I decided to get a season pass for myself as well.  That way Zach and I can board anytime we want.  After school, weekends, holidays . . . and we don't have to feel bad if we call it a day after just a few runs.

Pretty soon the snowcats will be grooming the slopes and building the terrain park.  Just looking at the hill is making me anxious for snow.  I've enjoyed summer, but am now ready for a change of pace.

Zaki is ready too.  We were hi-fiving each other the whole time we were there.  It is going to be a good season!

The two "boys" and their passes.  Oh, and Sammy will be skiing with us too.  He won't be left out.  I didn't get him a pass because he will be doing the kinder ski lessons.  I can just buy him a day pass for the other days that he wants to go with us.  I am looking forward to skiing with both the boys a ton this winter.  . . . and what about Renee you ask.  Well . . . I am still working on her.  She says that she doesn't like to ski, but I think we may be able to change her mind.  Hilltop is the perfect place to train skiers, old and young alike.  Think SNOW!!!